New Vision Lineup Brings Together Creative Perspectives from France, the US, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, the UK, India and More
Family-friendly screenings feature SpongeBob SquarePants, the first-ever theatrical release of a Doraemon film and the story of an Indian child investigating the closure of her school
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea IFF) has unveiled the lineups for its New Vision, Series and Families & Children strands, for the upcoming fifth edition of the festival running 4-13 December 2025 in Al-Balad, Jeddah.
The Red Sea: New Vision strand spotlights 10 films that stand out with a fresh cinematic vision, addressing unique topics with a lens that will challenge and delight. Among this year’s highlights are Mary Bronstein’s IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU, a compelling story of the trials of motherhood starring Rose Byrne. Alongside this is IN-I: IN MOTION, the award-winning French actor Juliette Binoche’s directorial debut about the staging of her show with dancer Akram Khan, and ROSE OF NEVADA, directed by Mark Jenkin and starring British actors George MacKay and Callum Turner, in a mysterious story about a time-travelling fishing trawler.
In partnership with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) and Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, this year’s New Vision strand also showcases five short films born from the initiative “Women in Film: Bring Your Story to Life.” The program supports and empowers Arab women filmmakers across the region through mentorship, financial backing, and storytelling development workshops. The selected films include JAREESH SALAM by Tala Alharbi (Saudi Arabia), NO LAND IN SIGHT by Eiman Alkhalifa (UAE), CLEANSE THE STREETS by Aysha Shahaltough (Jordan), OF BURNING MEMORIES & WOUNDS by Suha Belal (Egypt), and SOMEWHERE ELSE by Haya Alghanim (Kuwait).
Screening this year in the Red Sea’s series programme is EL’SARDINES from Algerian director Zoulikha Tahar which presents a woman torn between her caring for her family and a scientific adventure that she has dreamed of.
For the Families & Children lineup, Red Sea IFF will showcase a dedicated programme that brings together a series of films designed to inspire younger viewers. The selection includes Yukiyo Teramoto’s Japanese fantasy adventure DORAEMON: NOBITA’S ART WORLD TALES, which depicts creativity, friendship and the power of art; GHOST SCHOOL from Seemab Gul, which follows a young girl on a mission to uncover the truth behind the abrupt closure of her school; and THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS, the latest film centring on the iconic cartoon character and his friends featuring pirates, ghosts and the deepest depths of the ocean..
Fionnuala Halligan, Director of International Programmes, said “The International selections for these three key strands demonstrate the true breadth of projects on display at the Red Sea IFF. New Vision presents groundbreaking cinema that pushes the boundaries of narrative storytelling and as we continue to champion women in cinema, we’re excited to have two incredible female creatives – both actors turned filmmakers – in selection this year: Juliette Binoche, with her directorial debut fresh off heading up Cannes’ jury, and Mary Bronstein with an uncomfortable and highly compelling look at motherhood. We’re looking forward to bringing these inspiring and captivating projects to the Festival’s fifth edition.”
Antoine Khalife, Director of Arab Programs and Film Classics, added: “Filmmaking from the Arab world continues to be bold, imaginative, and full of distinctive voices that challenge and inspire. We’re proud to spotlight these innovative projects within our 2025 New Vision and Series strands and to be showcasing the incredible breadth of talent shaping the region’s cinematic future. This new generation of filmmakers melds tradition with fresh perspectives creating powerful, emotionally resonant stories about family, war, memory and community which will leave a lasting impression on our audiences.”
Red Sea: New Vision
CLEANSE THE STREETS
Country: Jordan
Aysha Shahaltough
Filmmaker Aysha Shahaltough’s short film Cleanse The Streets is the story of two sisters who are running for their lives. They are driving a blue pickup truck in the middle of nowhere, trying to escape their father’s wrath because of what he might do to them after they faced a daunting incident. However, they must confront a much darker truth that no distance can outrun. And can they ever truly go home?
EARLY DAYS
Country: India
Priyankar Patra
Filmmaker Priyankar Patra captures the zeitgeist of young love in this fresh-feeling romantic drama. The film follows the beginnings of a relationship between Preeti and Samrat, an aspirational couple in their mid-twenties who have just moved to the megalopolis of Mumbai. As they share their love story via reels on social media, where the immediate validation and promises of quick money initially seduces, and then propels them into the world of influencers. The film explores the impact of social media on contemporary relationships, while its cinematography creates an intimate and voyeuristic viewing experience, similar to that that of social media voyeurism.
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
Country: USA
Mary Bronstein
Rose Byrne dominates in Mary Bronstein’s psychologically oppressive and compulsively dark story of a mother firmly on the edge. Both the actress and director take no prisoners as Linda (Byrne) appears in a cacophony of demands on her time as a wife, mother and (a barely functioning) therapist. Her sickly daughter is never seen, only a barrage of requests are heard, compounded by the ceiling that has caved in on her apartment, forcing Linda to move to a motel as her long-distance husband occasionally dials in. And one of her patients has disappeared. While the stress ramps up on screen, there is a catharsis to it all.
IN-I: IN MOTION
Country: France
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche’s directing debut is an honest and unflinching account of her artistic collaboration with the British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan, resulting in the 2008 hybrid stage production In-I which premiered at the National Theatre in London. Khan and Binoche honed the show in a workshop, assisted by American acting coach Susan Batson and movement director Hsu Man-su, and filmed by the director’s sister Marion Stalens. Shown alongside footage of the finished show, which features sets by Anish Kapoor and music by Philip Sheppard, this new edit of In-I In Motion marks a rare chance to watch the creative process between two open-minded, questioning, and often exhausted performers as they birth a work of art.
JAREESH SALAM
Country: Saudi Arabia
Tala Alharbi
In Tala Alharbi’s short fiction Jareesh Salam, the story revolves around 11-year-old Salma. When her mother throws out the red football that her late father gave to her, Salma challenges the neighborhood boy who finds it to a match. In a battle that goes beyond the dusty football field, Salma’s fight to reclaim her property becomes a defiant struggle against the expectations of her community and family in early 2000s Saudi Arabia.
NO LAND IN SIGHT
Country: United Arab Emirates
Eiman Alkhalifa
No Land In Sight is an intimate and harrowing drama that explores the unbreakable bond between a mother and her children in the face of war, separation and uncertainty. Nadia, a resilient Sudanese mother, anxiously awaits news from her son, Omar, who has left their war-torn country in search of a safer future. When a long-awaited call from Omar arrives, relief turns to horror as he reveals he is at sea, struggling against a storm. As their fragile connection deteriorates, so does Nadia’s hope.
OF BURNING MEMORIES & WOUNDS
Country: Egypt
Suha Belal
In Suha Belal’s Of Burning Memories & Wounds, Anise, a 70-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, leads a solitary life. To spend the time, she spies on her neighbors and tries to reminisce about her role as a mother to a family that no longer exists. But for Anise’s caregiver, 30-year-old Noura, thoughts of a different kind of family are on her mind: how to avoid starting a family of her own.
ROSE OF NEVADA
Country: United Kingdon
Mark Jenkin
Rose Of Nevada is eerie, poignant and the tides are treacherous in this mysterious, daring work. Having brought Enys Men to Red Sea Film Festival in 2022, Mark Jenkin returns with his unique vision in this trenchant time-travelling tale of eternal loss. Two of the UK’s most exciting young actors, George MacKay and Callum Turner, headline this story initially set in a forgotten Cornish fishing village. Nick (MacKay) is trying to fix the roof over his head when he signs up as crew on a mysterious trawler called Rose of Nevada. Liam (Turner) is the stranger who drifts into town and ends up on board. All however, is not as it seems.
SOMEWHERE ELSE
Country: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon
Haya Alghanim
Dana, a desolate yet daring 10-year-old, flees her tumultuous home on the coast of Bnaider in Kuwait to escape her mother’s rage and seek a truer sense of self. She roams down the shore where her path crosses with two teenagers who intrigue her at first, but soon she slowly starts to realize that their path isn’t what is right for her, and the search for belonging must continue.
THE FINALE
Country: Lebanon
Rodolphe Chedid
In a secluded Lebanese village, Amal and Naeem, married for 50 years, find their peaceful life marked by the absence of their children, who left during the war more than three decades ago. Feeling a profound void, Amal seeks to rekindle their connection and rediscover meaning by asking Naeem to write their life story. He reluctantly agrees, and they embark on an intimate journey through forgotten memories and unspoken truths. As they revisit their past, they confront the love they’ve built and the questions that have shaped their lives. Filmed with a unique and original cinematic language, this love story is a powerful testament to how film can beautifully convey emotions, memories and the intimate details that make life extraordinary.
Red Sea: Series
EL’SARDINES
Country: Algeria, France
Zoulikha Tahar
Zouzou, a 30-year-old bio-maritime engineer, single and living with her parents, cannot bring herself to tell her family that she’s leaving the day after her sister’s wedding. Despite securing a visa (unlike her best friend Warda) she struggles to decide whether to leave alone and join a scientific expedition, tracking sardines that have deserted Algerian waters. Torn between family duties and local gossip, Zouzou is on the verge of falling apart.
Red Sea: Families & Children
DORAEMON: NOBITA’S ART WORLD TALES
Country: Japan
Yukiyo Teramoto, Mohammad Alarabi Tourgane, Sir Tarek Alarabi Tourgane
When a mysterious wooden painting appears in Nobita’s living room, Doraemon’s gadget sends the gang into the surreal kingdom of Artoria — a vibrant world born from brushstrokes and imagination. There, they meet Claire, a girl lost in time, and uncover a threat that could drain the world of its color. Blending 13th-century European art aesthetics with playful comedy, Doraemon: Nobita’s Art World Tales celebrates creativity and emotional connection through art. Packed with familiar gadgets, visual charm and heartfelt twists, this is a light yet imaginative adventure. A vibrant, gently surreal tale about creativity, friendship and the power of imperfect art.
GHOST SCHOOL
Country: Pakistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia
Seemab Gul
This gentle yet arresting debut feature from Seemab Gul centers around 10-year-old Rabia, a clear-eyed, logical-thinking, courageous child protagonist who wants to understand the real reason for the abrupt closure of her school. Rumours start that the school is haunted and her teacher is possessed by supernatural beings. However, her day-long quest for the truth, fuelled by her simple desire for an education, leads her into an adult world that has been plunged into superstition. Ghost School is a bittersweet portrayal of injustice for Rabia and the hope of a better future for all younger generations.
THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS
Country: USA
Derek Drymon
The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants is a swashbuckling yarn for all the family. This epic piratical animation takes audiences all the way from Bikini Bottom to Santa Monica Pier with its cast of beloved characters on a new rollercoaster ride. We join SpongeBob as he becomes a big boy, but his bravery is struggling to catch up with his size. Egged on by Mr Krabs’ stories of adventure on the high seas, he sets out in search of ghostly pirate ship the Flying Dutchman and its tyrannical, duplicitous captain. Series veteran Derek Drymon directs this fourth SpongeBob feature with the series voice cast all reprising their roles in an animated treasure-chest for Red Sea landlubbers.
About Red Sea International Film Festival
The Red Sea IFF is a grand celebration of film, bringing the best of world cinema to Jeddah. Over the past four editions, the Festival has premiered critically acclaimed award-winning filmmakers and films, classic cinema, and a spotlight on films from underrepresented voices underscoring the Festival’s commitment to cinematic excellence and bridging cultures.
The Festival has garnered significant recognition, winning many awards for best cultural and film events. It has achieved massive publicity, reaching millions of audiences worldwide, with thousands of press attendees. Regarded as Saudi Arabia’s highest-profile and most anticipated event, the Festival has captured the attention and acclaim of renowned industry figures worldwide and has been attended by tens of thousands of accredited visitors.
As the largest celebration of cinema and culture in the MENA region, the Festival features exciting new films on the big screen, alongside retrospective programs celebrating cinema masters, the latest Saudi films, feature and short film competitions, industry events, and masterclasses (In Conversations).
For ten exhilarating days (December 4-13), the Festival will transform the historic Jeddah Old Town, Al-Balad, into a cinematic wonderland, captivating film enthusiasts, industry professionals, and global audiences alike for its upcoming fifth edition. Al Balad is recognized as a UNESCO site that offers a captivating cultural experience reflecting the rich heritage of Saudi Arabia.
